I find it helpful to think of physical metaphors to represent the research process. A phrase that comes up a lot in academic writing is this notion of an event or phenomenon through a ‘lens’. How adopting a theoretical viewpoint can shed new light on a subject / revealing new meaning and understanding. In my own research, I have been interested in ‘somaesthetics’ as a theoretical framework for my project.

Somaesthetics, as defined by Richard Shusterman, foregrounds bodily perceptions and practices and how these contribute to knowledge and our construction of reality (1) specifically ‘pragmatic somaesthetics’ includes training and harnessing bodily experience. Furthermore, its practical element endorses bodily practice. This would include often solitary, and mindful practice. For example Tai-chi, Qigong, and Feldenkrais. In this way, ‘somaesthetics’ also has the effect of sharpening the lens, something which also needs to be shown in future iterations of this diagram…

(1) Somaesthetics: A Disciplinary Proposal /Richard Shusterman The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism Vol. 57, No. 3 (Summer, 1999), pp. 299-313 https://www.jstor.org/stable/432196